Hyperbaric incubation system and method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for incubation of cell cultures. The system can include a compressor for providing airflow at atmospheric or hyperbaric conditions, a reservoir, an incubator for housing cell cultures that produce CO 2 enriched airflow, an exhaust container, and an exhaust pump in the exhaust container and in fluid communication with the incubator for drawing CO 2 enriched airflow out of the incubator to maintain a stable pH level for the cell culture.

1 . A hyperbaric incubation system comprising:
 a compressor for providing pressurized air;   a hyperbaric chamber comprising:
 a hyperbaric chamber wall defining a hyperbaric chamber cavity; 
 a hyperbaric chamber inlet defined in the wall for receiving the pressurized air from the compressor; 
 a hyperbaric chamber pressure relief open port defined in the wall, wherein closing the hyperbaric chamber pressure relief open port allows hyperbaric chamber pressurization and opening the hyperbaric chamber pressure relief open port allows hyperbaric chamber depressurization; and 
 a hyperbaric chamber door provided in the hyperbaric chamber wall and having an open position for allowing access to the hyperbaric chamber cavity and a closed position for providing hyperbaric conditions; 
   a reservoir located within the hyperbaric chamber cavity and comprising:
 a reservoir wall defining a reservoir cavity; 
 a reservoir inlet defined in the reservoir wall and being in fluid communication with the hyperbaric chamber cavity for receiving the pressurized air therefrom; and 
 a reservoir outlet defined in the reservoir wall; 
   an incubator located within the hyperbaric chamber cavity and comprising:
 an incubator wall defining an incubator cavity, and configured to receive at least one cell culture container therein, wherein the at least one cell culture container is configured to contain a cell culture which produces CO 2  that becomes part of the pressurized air to create CO 2  enriched pressurized air; 
 an incubator inlet defined in the incubator wall and being in fluid communication with the reservoir outlet for receiving the pressurized air therefrom; 
 an incubator outlet defined in the incubator wall; and 
 an incubator door provided in the incubator wall and having an open position for allowing access to the incubator cavity and a closed position for providing hyperbaric conditions; 
   an exhaust container located within the hyperbaric chamber cavity and comprising:
 an exhaust container wall defining an exhaust container cavity; 
 an exhaust container inlet defined in the exhaust container wall and being in fluid communication with the reservoir outlet for receiving the pressurized air therefrom; and 
 an exhaust container outlet defined in the exhaust container wall and being in fluid communication with the hyperbaric chamber cavity; and 
   an exhaust pump in fluid communication with the exhaust container inlet for drawing the CO 2  enriched pressurized air out of the incubator to maintain a stable pH for the cell culture.   
     
     
         2 . The hyperbaric incubation system of  claim 1 , wherein pressure of the hyperbaric incubation system is within a range of 1.2 atm to 1.5 atm. 
     
     
         3 . The incubation system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first heat exchanger downstream of the compressor and configured to reduce a temperature of the pressurized air. 
     
     
         4 . The incubation system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second heat exchanger downstream of the compressor and configured to reduce or increase a temperature the pressurized air. 
     
     
         5 . The incubation system of  claim 4 , wherein the second heat exchanger is a Peltier heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The incubation system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one filter downstream of the compressor wherein the pressurized air is filtered prior to air entering the hyperbaric chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The incubation system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one filter comprises a carbon filter. 
     
     
         8 . The incubation system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one filter comprises a HEPA filter. 
     
     
         9 . The incubation system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cell culture container comprises:
 a cell culture container inlet; and   a cell culture container outlet,   wherein at least one inlet tube connects the cell culture container inlet to the incubator inlet and at least one outlet tube connects the cell culture container outlet to the incubator outlet.   
     
     
         10 . The incubation system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the reservoir comprises at least one reservoir open port provided on the wall of the reservoir,   the exhaust container comprises at least one exhaust open port provided on the wall of the exhaust container,   the incubator comprises:
 at least a first incubator open port being in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir open port; and 
 at least a second incubator open port being in fluid communication with the at least one exhaust container open port. 
   
     
     
         11 . The incubation system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the reservoir, exhaust container and incubator open ports are configured to actuate in response to a difference in pressure between the reservoir, the exhaust container, and the incubator. 
     
     
         12 . The incubation system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the reservoir, exhaust container and incubator open ports are configured to maintain an isobar between the reservoir, the exhaust container, and the incubator. 
     
     
         13 . The incubation system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first incubator open port and the at least one reservoir open port has a filter mounted thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The incubation system of  claim 13 , wherein the filter mounted on at least one of the first incubator open port and the at least one reservoir open port is a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. 
     
     
         15 . The incubation system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the second incubator open port and the at least one exhaust container open port has a filter mounted thereon. 
     
     
         16 . The incubation system of  claim 15 , wherein the filter mounted on at least one of the second incubator open port and the at least one exhaust container open port is a HEPA filter. 
     
     
         17 . The incubation system of  claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen concentrator in fluid communication with the reservoir cavity for increasing a concentration of oxygen in the reservoir. 
     
     
         18 . An incubation system comprising:
 a compressor for providing airflow;   a reservoir comprising:
 a reservoir wall defining a reservoir cavity; 
 a reservoir inlet defined in the reservoir wall and being in fluid communication with the entry flow displacement device for receiving the airflow therefrom; and 
 a reservoir outlet defined in the reservoir wall; 
   an incubator comprising:
 an incubator wall defining an incubator cavity, and configured to receive at least one cell culture container therein, wherein the at least one cell culture container is configured to contain a cell culture which produces CO 2  that becomes part of the airflow to create a CO 2  enriched airflow; 
 an incubator inlet defined in the incubator wall and being in fluid communication with the reservoir outlet for receiving the airflow therefrom; 
 an incubator outlet defined in the incubator wall; and 
 an incubator door provided in the incubator wall and having an open position for allowing access to the incubator cavity and a closed position for providing hyperbaric conditions; 
   an exhaust container comprising:
 an exhaust container wall defining an exhaust container cavity; 
 an exhaust container inlet defined in the exhaust container wall and being in fluid communication with the reservoir outlet for receiving the airflow therefrom; and 
 an exhaust container outlet defined in the exhaust container wall; and 
   an exhaust pump in fluid communication with the exhaust container inlet for drawing the CO 2  enriched airflow out of the incubator to maintain a stable pH level for the cell culture.   
     
     
         19 . The hyperbaric incubation system of  claim 18 , wherein pressure in each of the reservoir, incubator and exhaust container is within a range of 1.2 atm to 1.5 atm. 
     
     
         20 . The incubation system of  claim 18 , further comprising a first heat exchanger downstream of the compressor and configured to reduce a temperature of the pressurized air; a second heat exchanger downstream of the compressor and configured to reduce or increase a temperature the pressurized air; at least one filter downstream of the compressor wherein the airflow is filtered prior to air entering the reservoir; wherein the at least one cell culture container comprises a cell culture container inlet, a cell culture container outlet, wherein at least one inlet tube connects the cell culture container inlet to the incubator inlet and at least one outlet tube connects the cell culture container outlet to the incubator outlet; wherein the reservoir comprises at least one reservoir open port provided on the wall of the reservoir, the exhaust container comprises at least one exhaust container open port provided on the wall of the exhaust container, the incubator comprises at least a first incubator open port being in fluid communication with the at least one reservoir open port and at least a second incubator open port being in fluid communication with the at least one exhaust container open port; wherein each of the reservoir, exhaust container and incubator open ports are configured to (i) actuate in response to a difference in pressure between the reservoir, the exhaust container, and the incubator and (ii) maintain an isobar between the reservoir, the exhaust container, and the incubator.